Noise Levels in University Village, Chicago, IL | Find Quiet Neighborhoods With Our Sound Map
57 dBA
Average noise across University Village
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
4,585
Residents above the EPA 55 dBA threshold
76% of University Village residents
77 dBA
Loudest residential point
City bus interior
This map shows modeled outdoor noise across University Village at 100-meter resolution, combining road, aviation, and rail sources. Green areas measure below 45 dBA. Orange and red exceed the EPA's 55 dBA outdoor threshold linked to long-term health effects. Use the layer toggles to view each source on its own or all together.
What the numbers sound like
- 30 dBAWhisper
- 40 dBASoft rainfall
- 45 dBAQuiet suburban street at night
- 50 dBAQuiet office
- 55 dBAEPA outdoor threshold: light traffic 100 ft away
- 60 dBANormal conversation an arm's length away
- 65 dBABusy restaurant
- 70 dBAHighway traffic 50 ft away
- 80 dBACity bus interior
Population Above the EPA Outdoor Threshold
The EPA's 55 dBA outdoor reference level is a common benchmark for residential noise exposure, especially for activity interference, annoyance, and long-term community noise concerns. About 4,585 University Village residents, or 76.1%, live above that level. By land area, 79.0% of University Village is above 55 dBA.
21.0% below 55 dBA
79.0% above 55 dBA
See how noise in University Village compares to similar-sized neighborhoods.
Noise by Part of University Village
Average noise levels for University Village residents, grouped by direction from the center of University Village. The highest population-weighted average is in southern University Village; the lowest is in central University Village, where just 87% of residents live in blocks above the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, roughly the same as the share in the loudest section.
Southern University Village
75.0 dBA · Loud
City bus interior
Northwestern University Village
70.9 dBA · Loud
Highway traffic 50 ft away
Southeastern University Village
70.2 dBA · Loud
Highway traffic 50 ft away
Northeastern University Village
68.5 dBA · Loud
Highway traffic 50 ft away
Central University Village
65.0 dBA · Loud
Busy restaurant
To the human ear, noise in southern University Village sounds about 100% louder than in central University Village, a 10.0 dBA gap. Every 10 dBA roughly doubles perceived loudness. Within any of these directions, two homes a quarter mile apart can still differ by 10 or more dBA depending on how close they sit to a major highway.
How far back from Loomis St do you need to be?
Loomis St produces an estimated 55 dBA at its loudest centerline points. Noise drops logarithmically with distance, with the exact rate depending on what's between you and the road. Tree cover, walls, terrain, and pavement type all matter. At roughly a quarter mile back, traffic fades into the noise level of a soft rainfall.
At source
55 dBA
Quiet office to normal conversation
165 ft
40 dBA
Soft rainfall
330 ft
35 dBA
Soft rainfall
660 ft
35 dBA
Soft rainfall
¼ mile
35 dBA
Soft rainfall
½ mile
35 dBA
Soft rainfall
Calculated from the model's calibrated attenuation formula. About 3% of University Village sits under tree canopy (much lighter than most neighborhoods) and roughly 74% is impervious surface like pavement and rooftops. Both are folded into the per-place decay rate above. Heavier canopy pulls noise down faster with distance; impervious surfaces slow the drop.
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Rail Noise
Active freight rail runs through parts of University Village. For most blocks the rail-only contribution is small. Combined road-plus-rail noise rarely exceeds road noise on its own. The exceptions are the handful of blocks within roughly a quarter mile of the right-of-way during pass-through hours.
Use the Rail toggle on the map above to isolate rail's contribution from road and aviation.
Airport Noise
Chicago Midway International (MDW) sits southwest of University Village. The U.S. Department of Transportation models aviation noise around this airport from federal traffic data, and the model uses those federal measurements rather than synthetic predictions.
Blocks under the approach and departure paths carry combined road-plus-aviation noise, with some exceeding 65 dBA on the map's Overall layer. Blocks on the opposite side of University Village, particularly to the northeast, show no measurable aviation contribution. Use the Aviation toggle on the map above to isolate the airport's footprint.
How Noise Is Distributed Across University Village
The bar chart below shows the share of University Village residents in each noise band. About 13% of residents live below the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, and roughly 4% live in blocks above 60 dBA. Long-term exposure in that range is linked to elevated stress hormones and cardiovascular risk.
How University Village Compares
University Village sits at the louder end of the spectrum. Below: how University Village's average outdoor noise and share of residents above the EPA threshold compare with West Garfield Park, Pilsen, New City, and Oakland.
Average noise level (dBA)
University Village's 56.9 dBA pop-weighted average is at the louder end of the spectrum. Illinois as a whole averages 52.6 dBA and the U.S. averages 52.0 dBA. Both are lower than University Village because most of either area is rural land away from major roads.
Share of residents above 55 dBA
About 76.1% of University Village residents live in blocks where outdoor levels exceed the EPA's 55 dBA threshold. That's in the middle of its peer group. Measured by land area instead, 79.0% of University Village's footprint sits above 55 dBA, against a Illinois average of 29.2% and a national average of 28.1%.
What This Means if You're Moving to University Village
- Distance from highways matters more than the neighborhood name. Two homes in the same zip code can differ by 20 dBA if one sits 100 meters from Loomis St and the other 500 meters away. The model captures this at 100-meter resolution, so noise exposure changes block by block.
- Tree canopy can help reduce modeled noise exposure. Roughly 3% of University Village is under tree cover (much lighter than most neighborhoods), and the dominant land cover is medium-intensity developed land. Both are measured from federal USDA Forest Service and USGS satellite imagery at 30-meter resolution. Streets with 60% or higher canopy show 3 to 5 dBA lower noise than comparable streets with bare ground or pavement, which is why the per-place decay rate above already accounts for it.
- Airport noise is directional. Chicago Midway International's approach paths concentrate aviation noise to the southwest. Neighborhoods to the northeast of downtown show no measurable contribution from the airport.
